Monday, February 28, 2011

The Gift of Prophecy

Crazy pre-spring skies lately.

Part of what happened while I was receiving the download of information a couple of weeks ago is that I was asked to kick it up a notch in my practice as a shaman. I was made aware of the fact that I now possess the gift of prophecy. Holy cow, what does THAT mean? I've been exploring this idea in a number of ways, including reading "Practical Intuition" by Laura Day.

It's a pretty good book, though, in reading it and doing the exercises I have come to the realization that I don't believe in the future. What I mean is, I don't think the future is out there, fixed, shaped, therefore ready to be clearly discerned. The truth is, I don't believe in the past, either, as a fixed reality. We write our histories, re-write them as needed in the moment, yes? During my ten years of psychotherapy, I definitely re-wrote my own history, oh yeah.

As for the future, I believe that in this present moment - yeah, right NOW - we are, all of us, busily co-creating, which is why books like "The Secret" get me so riled up. Books like that make it sound like it's easy to create a specific future if only we focus on what we want/need. Books like that ignore the fact that there are several billion OTHER HUMANS out there also fixated on a particular future, not to mention all the thoughts, wishes and hopes of animals, plants, etc. If only it were so easy - to focus on intention and create your own beautiful, perfect future without the interference of the billions of other coherent life-forms sharing this planet. Ridiculous.

I believe all our thoughts, wishes, dreams, hopes and fears weave themselves together. Our wishes and dreams, our fears, too, are the foundation upon which we cut through time/space, on which we walk through our days and nights. That tightly woven tapestry, our collective intentions, I mean, is the ground upon which we base our behaviors, take action, move and live. It's impossible to predict what kind of future will come of these complex interactions. That kind of big picture clarity is the domain of God, if you ask me.

So - what good is the gift of prophecy, I ask you? Well, so far, I've been able to see around small corners of time for individuals. For instance, I correctly guessed that after five weeks, a client's cat was about to come home. I told her what I saw, but begged her to take that vision with a mountain of salt. After she left her session, she texted 20 minutes later - the cat was home! I was flabbergasted actually.

As with all the other gifts and skills of shamanship, the gift of prophecy is something I will have to practice, something that will no doubt come to me in bits and pieces, slowly, little by little. I might have to adjust my belief system about the future, too. Frankly, even though it is beginning to happen, I remain skeptical.

Interesting. My daughter had a reading a few years ago by a very well known woman and the woman told her there were two short term paths stretched out before her and then discussed a few things that would happend along either of the paths. Perhaps she, like you, feels the future is shifting and changing all the time and few things are certain.One thing I do like about books like the Secret is perhaps they get people to focus more on positive things, focus their energy on building and growing rather than negativities from their past.Exciting time for you I think :)

yes, yes, and yes! The past, present, and future are fluid concepts, ever changing according to perception.

I've always used the concept of a tapestry, spreading infinitely throughout time, as a metaphor for our existence. The warp and weft is set on the loom, but it's up to us to weave the texture and color into it.

I now see it as you describe a post or two ago, as a matrix, also infinite and malleable.

Boy you are so right about us rewriting history! I sometimes think I'm just making it up as I go along - especially since my mother isn't around to corroborate my story :)

I like the idea that the future isn't set in stone. I am NOT a Calvinist, that's for sure! The things I do now can help me have a better future - or conversely I can do things to make it harder. Which path to choose? Duh!

I like that you, too, mush all the thoughts of everything sentient with your own - it's no wonder it's so hard to create something on the spot! I remember reading ONE by Richard Bach and relating to the network idea in it.

reya! what a super eye-opening picture at the bottom like wooden fingers racing to get out of the traffic lights. the past: well my past is entirely defined and configured by myself. i've selected the form it takes and allow for the ever so gentle tickles of adjustment that come along every so often to find their place. the future: well it's always a dance between the imagined, the expected, the created, and especially the wished for. the whole thing is a design that as jo says i can weave texture and colour into. i'm just glad to be here at the sweet spot of the hour glass. steven

WOW! I hope you see good stuff, or at least helpful stuff, when you see the future. It seems like prophecy could be a burden. But then, I've been getting surprising revelations from the past all winter, and I thought I already knew where I'd been. Time and perception are certainly slippery things.

I agree with your sentiments whole heartedly. I have to admit that I've never really considered the past as an unfixed event. You're right though; the story changes based on the teller and the time. Interesting.